Butyrate and the Immune System
Some of your gut bacteria—especially the beneficial Bifidobacteria—produce an important short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) called butyrate. They do this by fermenting fiber in the digestive tract. Butyrate acts as a…
Acid-suppressing Medications and Bacterial Infections
Last week the FDA issued a warning about the use of acid-suppressing medications known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), a potentially life-threatening…
Probiotics for Ulcerative Colitis
Probiotics are now being considered for use in treating many digestive (and even non-digestive) health conditions and diseases. Two such diseases in which probiotics have been studied are the inflammatory…
Chronic Disease and the Balance of Good and Bad Bacteria in the Gut
For many years now scientists have been studying how the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut can contribute to, or influence all kinds of chronic diseases. Diseases…